Product Description
"Every morning I jump out of bed and step on  a land mine. The land mine is me. After the  explosion, I spend the rest of the day putting the  pieces back together. Now, it's your turn. Jump!"  Zest. Gusto. Curiosity. These are the qualities  every writer must have, as well as a spirit of  adventure. In this exuberant book, the incomparable  Ray Bradbury shares the wisdom, experience, and  excitement of a lifetime of writing. Here are  practical tips on the art of writing from a master of  the craft-everything from finding original ideas to  developing your own voice and style-as well as the  inside story of Bradbury's own remarkable career  as a prolific author of novels, stories, poems,  films, and plays. Zen In The Art Of  Writing is more than just a how-to manual for the  would-be writer: it is a celebration of the act of  writing itself that will delight, impassion, and  inspire the writer in you. In it, Bradbury  encourages us to follow the unique path of our instincts  and enthusiasms to the place where our inner genius  dwells, and he shows that success as a writer  depends on how well you know one subject: your own  life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

Not for the casual Bradbury fan
A modest collection of essays and book introductions from one of the legends of genre fiction.The topic is something Bradbury knows very well - the art of writing fiction.Essentially, he recommends creating lists, practicing copiously, and approaching one's art with gusto.

Bradbury advises would-be writers to start with a simple noun that catches their interest and write prose poems on the subject until they find their characters.That accomplished, simply allow the characters to tell their own story.It works for Bradbury, but will it work for you?Not necessarily, since this reader can't recall any other writer whose work so much resembles prose poems as Bradbury's.And keeping that in mind, one might have hoped for a variety of strategies that took into account differences in writers, in genres, in the state of the publishing industry... perhaps one hoped for too much.

Bradbury's descriptions of the origins of some of his more famous stories were fairly interesting, but to readers only marginally familiar with his work, these would probably fall pretty flat.The chapter of poetry was not impressive at all.Best part of this book - the additional paragraphs written for Fahrenheit 451.Would-be writers who are seriously trying to write like Bradbury might find it worthwhile to learn about his methodology and garner some inspiration, but fans of his fiction will find little of interest here.

Paradox
Let it be noted that this justly famous author, who has written a book on Zen, also received the nation's highest civilian honor from George W. Bush! Hardly a Zen-likepresident by any stretch!

Positive Review
Ray Bradbury is one of a kind, and I've loved all his books. This is different and far more personal, but it is also an excellent read. It contains plenty of good tips for science fiction writers or fiction writers in general of any genre. I believe Mr. Bradbury was anxious to share his inspiration with younger writers, as well as to all writers. I know that there are many of us who could benefit from this very kind book, from one of the greatest of the great true sci-fi writers. Thank you, Mr. Bradbury! John

Ray Bradbury, the Writer's Cheerleader
Ray Bradbury's enthusiasm about writing is like fireworks on the Fourth of July. His encouragement to other writers is electric. For the price of admission, readers get 10 solid essays on the craft, showing us how to "tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out." What a deal.

A Classic!
This book has been a powerful influence in both my writing and my teaching about writing. And I'm certain several of his concepts and ideas crept into my own book about writing, The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write. Bradbury is a master storyteller and a master teacher of storytelling. Long may he write! ... Read more

Product Description
"A fast-moving, eerie...tale set on Halloween night. Eight costumed boys running to meet their friend Pipkin at the haunted house outside town encounter instead the huge and cadaverous Mr. Moundshroud. As Pipkin scrambles to join them, he is swept away by a dark Something, and Moundshroud leads the boys on the tail of a kite through time and space to search the past for their friend and the meaning of Halloween. After witnessing a funeral procession in ancient Egypt, cavemen discovering fire, Druid rites, the persecution of witches in the Dark Ages, and the gargoyles of Notre Dame, they catch up with the elusive Pipkin in the catacombs of Mexico, where each boy gives one year from the end of his life to save Pipkin's. Enhanced by appropriately haunting black-and-white drawings."--BooklistAmazon.com Review
Special indeed are holiday stories with the right mix of high spirits and subtle mystery to please both adults and children--Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol," forexample. Or Ray Bradbury's classic The Halloween Tree. Eight boysset out on a Halloween night and are led into the depths of the past by atall, mysterious character named Moundshroud. They ride on a black wind toautumn scenes in distant lands and times, where they witness other ways ofcelebrating this holiday about the dark time of year. Bradbury's lyricalprose whooshes along with the pell-mell rhythms of children running atnight, screaming and laughing, and the reader is carried along by its sheerexuberance.

Bradbury's stories about children are always attended by dread--of change,adulthood, death. The Halloween Tree, while sweeter than his adultliterature, is also touched at moments by the cold specter of loss--whichis only fitting, of course, for a holiday in honor of the waning of thesun.

This is a superb book for adults to read to children, a way to teach them,quite painlessly, about customs and imagery related to Halloween fromancient Egypt, Mediterranean cultures, Celtic Druidism, Mexico, and even acathedral in Paris. (One caveat, though: Bradbury unfortunately perpetuatesa couple of misconceptions about Samhain, or summer's end, the Halloween of ancient Celts and contemporary pagans.) This beautiful reprint edition hasthe original black-and-white illustrations and a new color painting on thedust jacket. --Fiona Webster ... Read more

Customer Reviews (51)

"The Halloween Tree" (From BookBanter)
I read this book every October because it's the perfect Halloween book.It's taken me a couple of readings, but I now finally realize that The Halloween Tree is the equivalent for Halloween what A Christmas Carol is for Christmas: an enchanting journey into the history of Halloween where one leans much and is changed by it.

A group of eight boys are on their way out to trick or treat on Halloween, all in different costumes - skeleton, mummy, gargoyle, etc. - and head over to the final friend's house, Pipkin.Pipkin is sick, doesn't look well at all, but is essentially the leader of the group and has never missed a Halloween, so he tells them to go on ahead to a specific house and he will catch up with them.

The house turns out to be the quintessential Halloween mansion, with many rooms and black windows.Beside the mansion they find a great and ancient oak with many branches and hanging from those branches are many carved pumpkins, swinging in the breeze.This is the Halloween tree, and as the boys watch, each of the pumpkins light up.At the door they ask for trick or treat, and the man on the other side tells them not treat, but trick.Terrifyingly, he appears from a pile of leaves.He is tall.He is skeletal.He is Mr. Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud.

After the boys get over the initial terror, they are invited on a journey by Mr. Moundshroud.They see Pipkin being taken into the past, weakened by his sickness, and it is up to Moundshroud and the boys to rescue Pipkin from time.And so the boys begin their journey, forming the tail of a giant kite controlled by Moundshroud and they pass back through time and visit the Halloweens of history: Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, medieval Britain, Notre Dame, and El Dia de Los Muertos.

It is an incredible story where one learns the history of Halloween seen through the eyes of many different cultures, told in the unique style of Ray Bradbury.Afterward you will feel as if you've actually experienced many different Halloweens and be all the more ready to experience your own on October 31st.

Originally written on October 12th 2007 ©Alex C. Telander.

For more book reviews and author interviews, go to BookBanter: [...].

Not quite sure what to make of this book.
This is the first Bradbury book I have read.The cover art is very cool, I think that is my favorite part of the book.I like the first couple of chapters where the boys are meeting up and getting ready for Halloween night, and I like the last two or three chapters at the end when they make their deal with the mysterious Moundshroud, and afterwards when they go home.The story feels like a mess to me though.Bradbury repeats a few words over again in a few sentences, I guess to show how kids think or something.Whatever, it just feels like it tries to be more than a story.Maybe thats how Bradbury writes, I don't know, but it feels like the story wants to be poetic.Thats the best I can come up with to describe it.Example being the repeating of words two or three times such as "on the horizon Pip's body floated away on the wind, gone gone gone."That is not actually in the book but thats what I am talking about.Then there are quite a few fragments and really short paragraphs and other things that make the story seem more like it is being poetic.It reminds me of stuff like 'Ode to a Greecian Urn' and what not, like its wants to be more epic than what it is.The action and descriptions are hard to follow sometimes.This is happening and thats happening and this is going on in the wind or in the shadows or what not, that I just don't know what to follow.The idea is great.I think it could have been a better story without all the fast paced this is what Halloween is and where it came from story that we get in this book.There are eight boys in the story but more or less only three really ever talk or get mentioned in detailed.There is just way to much going on.This book might be great for kids 10-13, granted I am much much older I thought this would be a really good story, given all the hype that goes along with the name Bradbury.I don't really ever like to mention to much of the story because I don't want to give to much away.Books are better when you don't know what is going to happen, so please forgive me if I have been to vague.Just sharing a few of my opinions.

After more thought and a negative reply to my review, I have decided to say what I really feel about this book.This story is Bradburys ideaology on death.He believes that from the caveman to modern man, the Egyptian to the Druids, Romans, and Christians that they have all been looking for safety from the dark and safety from mans biggest fear, death itself.From how the Egyptians dressed their dead into mummies and prepared their resting places, to Mexico and their Day of the dead fest, man is just looking for a way to ward off, deal with, and react to death and the possibility that there is nothing after life.Bradbury wrote in one of the chapters of the Halloween Tree that all the gods of the past and present are made by man to cope with the dark and death.Now that is not word for word how he put it but it is pretty close.If I did not know better I would say Bradbury does not believe in anything such as a higher power.Which is fine, that does not bother me.To each his/her own.But that is why this book is not better.It is not a story on Halloween, but the authors thoughts on death and how man has delt with it through the ages.However he does say in the book when Jack Skeleton ask Mr. Moundshroud "will we ever stop being afraid..." Moundshroud replies "when we join the rest of the stars in the sky, we will not be afraid no more".So there is something after death just not what the Egyptians or Druids, Romans, Christans believe.This book is no classic.However it was a good idea, when it was about kids on Halloween night, with a Halloween tree, the freaky Mr. Moundshroud, and Pip's ghost or spirit whatever. Not when it became Bradbury's history lesson on Halloween and his ideaology on death.There is one or two sentences, and a couple of paragraphs that are really good, but I think the book is a miss unless you are a 10-13 year old that does not know any better.Please note this is just my "hollow criticism".

AClassic Halloween Family Story
Every Halloween Tom Skelton and 7 other boys would go trick-or-treating with Joe Pipkin.All of them are in their costumes playing in town when they realize that only 8 of them are present.Though their faces were all hidden by masks they knew who wasn't there.They could just tell he was missing.Joe Pipkin, the greatest boy who ever lived, the boy who never ever sat still was not with them.

The boys go to Pipkin's house.When he comes out, he is not his usual perky self.He tells his friends to go on, that he will meet them at the place of the Haunts.At a spooky house situated there, they meet Mr. Moundshroud and find his Halloween tree.Pipkin appears in the distance much later, but is whisked away from them by a dark something.Mr. Moundshroud takes them backwards on a journey through time and space to save their friend, Pipkin, from certain death and to learn the history and meaning of Halloween.

Part of their journey takes them through ancient Egypt, where they learned how death was part of everyday life, where Halloween seemed to take place each day.

The Grecian Isles are visited.There black molasses was painted on the doorposts so visiting ghosts would stick to them and not be able to come indoors.

They saw the festival of Samhain in England, as well as other festivals in different parts of Europe.In each place visited, their friend, Pipkin, would appear.All the time afraid that they will never see him again, they chase after him each time.

They chase him on to the Notre Dame in Paris, France, then on to Mexico.I'm not going to tell you how the story ends - that just wouldn't be right.There is no way that I could adequately convey to you just how unique this Halloween story is.

The ending is good and it is a suitable book for children of all ages.If one is easily scared, there is a slight chance it could be frightening, but only a slight chance.Only in one's imagination could the events in this story ever take place.

Each place they stop, creepy Mr. Moundshroud shares with the boys the unique customs surrounding death.Since Mr. Moundshroud represents death, he would know about every custom surrounding death at anytime in history.

The Halloween Tree was written by Ray Bradbury, a master of fantasy and science fiction.First published in 1972, it is a classic tale to be enjoyed by young and old alike.

I was surprised that I had never in my life heard of this tale, especially since I am such an avid reader.Ray Bradbury's unique description of events and surroundings is refreshing and easy to read.Families would enjoy reading the 145 pages of The Halloween Tree together.

Wouldn't be Halloween Without It!
I hadn't read this book for a long time, first got a hold of it back in elementary school. I picked it up off Amazon because I remembered it and wanted my own copy, also because I wanted to re-read it.

Have to say, curled up on a couch and reading this the night before and during Halloween itself, it brought back a lot of memories. This is a great book and definitely an interesting, quick read for pretty much all ages.

I have to say, the illustrations are captivating and interesting. I definitely like the cover art, but the sketches within the book are, I think, even more fitting to the story. Gives you a feel for the time and place it comes from, and keeps the art from over powering the book.

In terms of the writing, Bradbury's style is simply fun to read. He's eloquent and descriptive, but never gets too mired in prose to stop the story from progressing (a pet peeve of mine). A litmus test for any good book is weather or not the story takes you places, whether or not you can picture what's happening and get caught up in following it. Bradbury does this from the get go and never lets up. There are no boring parts of this book, not fat to be trimmed. It's all lean, down to the bone, not unlike it's chief character Mr. Moundshroud.

This book is a definite treat to read and I highly recommend it to anyone. There's few books that really stand out as Halloween classics that you'd want to curl up with on a cool October night and take in, but this definitely one of them.

In Quest of the Sun
The May, 1963, issue of _Fantasy and Science Fiction_ was a special Ray Bradbury issue, with two new stories by Bradbury and a critcal essay and a bibliography by William F. Nolan. (These were the days before bibliographies were widely available to readers.)

The cover was by Joseph Mugnaini. It showed a portrait of Bradbury in the foreground, surrounded by some of his literary creations: the Illustrated Man, the burning man from _Fahrenheit 451_, the villainous M. Munigant playing on a thighbone fife, the gentle Uncle Einar with his beautiful pea-green wings, Icarus, the Picasso centaur, and various Martians in and around a Martian city.

If ever there was an artist born to illustrate Bradbury's fiction, it was Joe Mugnaini. He has done covers for Bradbury's books and interiors for many of his stories. He did the animation for a short 1962 film of "Icarus Montgolfier Wright". And he has done the illustrations for _The Halloween Tree_ (1972). They are of things that Bradbury loves: masks, old haunted houses with Marley doorknockers, skeletal figures, pterodactyl kites, giant moons dominating the sky, flying broomsticks, and-- of course-- the skeletal Halloween tree.

It has been frequently said that Bradbury is much concerned with childhood. It might be more accurate to say that he is much concerned with boyhood. And so it is in this novel. On Halloween night, eight boys go in search of their comrade, the "best boy in the world," who is sick and in mortal danger. They are guided on this trip through time by the sinister but strangely helpful Mr. Moundshroud. On their quest, they learn about the history and the meaning of Halloween:

"There it goes, boys. The heart, soul and flesh of Halloween. The Sun! There Osiris is murdered again. There sinks Mithras, the Persian fire. There falls Phoebus Apollo all Grecian light. Sun and flame, boys. Look and blink." (77)

Halloween, then, is related to our primeval fear that the sun will not return. We know that it will... _But what if it doesn't_? This is a great book to use with kids to teach them lessons. Those costumes that you wear-- mummy, witch, skeleton, gargoyle-- what did they originally mean? Where did they come from? Mr. Moundshroud is a captivating teacher, and he provides plenty of surprises along the way.

Finally, there is Bradbury's style of writing, of which this is just one sample:

But they were already crowding up the path. Until they stood at last by a crumbling wall, looking up and up and still farther up at the great tombyard top of the old house. For that's what it seemed. The high mountain peak of the mansion was littered with what looked like black bones or iron rods, and enough chimneys to choke out smoke signals from three dozen fires on sooty hearths hidden far below in the dim bowels of this monster place. With so many chimneys, the roof seemed a vast cemetery, each chimney signifying the burial place of some old god of fire or enchantress of steam, smoke, and firefly spark. Even as they watched, a kind of bleak exhalation of soot breathed out of some four dozen flues, darkening the sky still more, and putting out some few stars. (18-19)

Is it quite in the same league as _The Martian Chronicles_ (1950) or _Fahrenheit 451_ (1953)? Well, no. But then, few books are. _The Halloween Tree_ is an excellent book, with prose that reminds you of how homogenized the writing is of most authors today. Order some extra copies today. ... Read more

Product Description

In the deceiving warmth of earliest October, civil war has come to Green Town, Illinois, an age-old conflict pitting the young against the elderly for control of the clock that ticks their lives ever forward. The graying forces of school board despot Mr. Calvin C. Quartermain have declared total war on thirteen-year-old Douglas Spaulding and his downy-cheeked cohorts. The boys, in turn, plan and execute daring campaigns, matching old Quartermain's experience and cunning with their youthful enthusiasm and devil-may-care determination to hold on forever to childhood's summer. Yet time must ultimately be the victor, as life waits in ambush to assail young Spaulding with its powerful mysteries—the irresistible ascent of manhood, the sweet surrender of a first kiss . . .

Customer Reviews (18)

Vintage Bradbury
I was very apprehensive when I purchased this book last year and again when I picked it up over labor day weekend. After all, Ray Bradbury is one of my favorite authors and certainly the favorite author of my youth. "Dandelion Wine", the novel to which this is the sequel, remains one of the most powerful evocations of an American boyhood summer in a small country town. "Farewell Summer" is about the end of that boyhood but not in an empty, post-modern way. It is more about the natural flow of life and how if you keep your inner eye open, the magic does not have to end with the coming of manhood. It is about the continuity of generations and what we give to each other as human beings. It is also about forgiveness and redemption about how we are never separated from community.

At the close of this story, I was overcome emotionally in a way I haven't been since I finished "The Lord of the Rings" for the first time. If you are a Bradbury fan, read this book. If you have become cyinical about the human race, read this book. If you just want to feel better about things in general, read this book.

An Inspired and Lyrical Reflection on the End of Childhood
This short novel is a sequel to Dandelion Wine. Published almost half a century later it forms, with Something Wicked This Way Comes, a trilogy of novels that were inspired with Ray Bradbury's childhood years in a small town of Waukegan, Illinois. The Farewell Summer is a deeply personal and intimate reflection on coming of age and commencement of initiation into the world of adulthood. The novel takes place over course of just one October, and follows a group of kids as they come in conflict with adults in fictional Green Town. The book presents a very humane look at the way that several adults, especially the much older ones, deal with what would today be termed delinquency. They understand that "boys will be boys," and yet they try to help with a smooth transition into the adulthood.

Bradbury has been known primarily for his science fiction books, but in this novel and a few others he shows his ability to convey deeper messages of life in a much more "realistic" and conventional form. His writing is very lyrical and at moments poignant. Even though this is a very short novel, it contains a lot of inspired and moving writing. It has a lot of cross appeal, and even if you are not a fan of ray Bradbury you are bound to enjoy this beautiful gem. I certainly hope that this book does not signal the end of his extensive opus. We can all learn more about life from this unique and brilliant author.

Book most enjoyable when read in August...
It's funny, I read Dandelion Wine in June/July... Then in the scorcher of August 09'(currently) I finished with Farewell Summer, and the ending, I finished reading laying down on a couch around 3 in the morning. It was decent sychronicity that enhanced the book. I figure, you could walk away from Dandelion feeling sated but farewell summer is close to a mandatory read to get somewhat of a better conclusion, the conclusion of which definitely surprised me.

Contains only hints of the genius of "Dandelion Wine"
While I personally could not call anything that Bradbury has written "bad," this book doesn't meet the expectations of a sequel/continuation of the literary masterpiece that "Dandelion Wine" is.There are glimpses of the beauty of its predeccesor here--some moments where Bradbury touches your inner child, takes you back to your youth and fills you with the stuff of life.However, such moments are the exception and not the rule in this book.The plot is rather simple for Bradbury and the books moves rather slowly.This book is worth reading if you are a Bradbury fan, but you can tell that his writing simply isn't as strong as it was when he was in his prime (some 30-40 years ago now).For those who are ambivalent about Bradbury, you can safely pass on reading this one.

Sounds, smells, and life of one Summer
As always, Bradbury takes us into his prolific mind of the past and the future.He let's us see, once again, how it could have been.Sweet, aromatic, and soft.The interrealtionships, and the mysteries of life are all there for you, if you are ready for the visit. ... Read more

Product Description

Amazon.com Review
Book Description
"Monday burn Millay, Wednesday Whitman, Friday Faulkner, burn ’em to ashes, then burn the ashes." For Guy Montag, a career fireman for whom kerosene is perfume, this is not just an official slogan. It is a mantra, a duty, a way of life in a tightly monitored world where thinking is dangerous and books are forbidden.

In 1953, Ray Bradbury envisioned one of the world's most unforgettable dystopian futures, and in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, the artist Tim Hamilton translates this frightening modern masterpiece into a gorgeously imagined graphic novel. As could only occur with Bradbury's full cooperation in this authorized adaptation, Hamilton has created a striking work of art that uniquely captures Montag's awakening to the evil of government-controlled thought and the inestimable value of philosophy, theology, and literature.

Including an original foreword by Ray Bradbury and fully depicting the brilliance and force of his canonic and beloved masterwork, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is an exceptional, haunting work of graphic literature.

Look Inside This Stunning Adaptation of Fahrenheit 451
In the panels below, fireman Guy Montag returns home after a night of burning books and encounters Clarice, a teenager who changes his life.
Click on each image to enlarge.

Product Description
Once upon a time people described Ray Bradbury as a particularly gifted writer of science fiction. Today he seems more like a magical realist, a small-town American cousin to Borges and Garcia Marquez. A writer whose vision of the world is so intense that the objects in it sometimes levitate or glow with otherworldly auras.

Who but Bradbury could imagine the playroom in which children's fantasies become real enough to kill? The beautiful white suit that turns six down-and-out Chicanos into their ideal selves? Only Bradbury could make us identify with a man who lives in terror of his own skeleton. And if a generic science fiction writer might describe a spaceship landing on Mars, only Bradbury can tell us how the Martians see it-and the and dreamlike visitors from Planet Earth.Amazon.com Review
As tersely stated on the cover, this is "Ray Bradbury's own selection ofhis best stories." The Vintage Bradbury contains 22 classic stories,plus four chapters excerpted from his first mainstream novel, Dandelion Wine. His careeras an author was only about 15 years old when he compiled this volume in1965 for the prestigious Vintage imprint. Like the vast majority of hiscollections, it has never been out of print. Bradbury's own selection of"his best" is also intriguing because most of the stories chosen are fromthe beginning of his career, and most are quite hauntingly sad. "TheIllustrated Man" relates the ultimate fate of the tattooed title characterfrom the novel of the same name. "The Fog Horn" is the tragic love story ofa dinosaur who believes the horn's wail is actually that of his lost mate."Hail and Farewell" tells of a 43-year-old man who is fated tonever look older than 12. Although later upstaged by the trulydefinitive The Stories ofRay Bradbury, this remains a fitting introduction to one of theworld's great fantasists and prose stylists. --Stanley Wiater ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Vintage Bradbury
Just as the seller had promised, it arrived ontime and in great shape. I was very pleased. The book, of course is fantastic. Ray Bradbury is a phenomenal author. He never ceases to be able to take me on the journey right there with him.

How to make the bizarre believable
Almost all stories contained in this volume have strangely weird premises.Almost all characters are truly odd or at least genuinely quirky.Almost all plots have surprising twists and strain the reader's imagination.Andyet, each story is believable, is frighteningly real, and of a bizarre,almost grotesque beauty, combining playful fantasy with profound issuesrevolving around family and society, and I found myself rooting for thedisillusioned outsider again and again.The tragedy is poignant andbittersweet - a real feast to read.

bradbury in my ear!
Ray loves words like a father loves his children. He caresses his images and then holds out his hand to you.What a trip he has in store.Come along! ... Read more

Product Description

A journalist bearing terrible news leaps from a still-moving train into a small town of wonderful, impossible secrets . . .

The doomed crew of a starship follows their blind, mad captain on a quest into deepest space to joust with destiny, eternity, and God Himself . . .

Customer Reviews (12)

"Now and Forever" (From BookBanter)
Now and Forever, the latest book from one of the best writers of our time, Ray Bradbury,brings together two novellas that have never been published in book form before.While the two have little in common, they show two sides to Bradbury's incredible imagination, giving you a taste of his greatness as a writer and story teller.

The first novella, Somewhere a Band is Playing, opens with the main character, James Cardiff, getting off a train that barely stops at a tiny station in the middle of nowhere.But there is something special about Summerton, Arizona that makes Cardiff immediately fall in love with it.As he enters the town and meets the first person, in the background is the quiet sound of a band playing.In Summerton Cardiff discovers a quiet, peaceful place where one could settle down and feel very much at ease.But the longer he spends there, the more mysterious it becomes.He soon discovers that there are no children here, no one under twenty for that matter, that everyone is an adult, many of them old.Cardiff then notices that there are no schools; that it seems like there have never been any children here.Also that there are no hospitals or apparently any doctors, that people simply don't get sick here.He finally finds the cemetery but discovers that it is little more than a prop, serving no purpose except to reassure visitors that it exists.Cardiff finally forces a confession out of the beautiful woman he has befriended who tells him what is going on and what is the true meaning behind Summerton, Arizona.It is a story that defies belief, and yet makes so much sense.

While the first novella is a masterpiece in its own way, the second, Leviathan '99, is one also, but in a totally different manner.It is the year 2099 and the story is Moby-Dick, except characters names are different - of course, not Ishmael - and the ship does not travel across the ocean in search of a white whale, but across the darkness of space in search of the white meteor that has been plowing through galaxies.The characters of Captain Ahab and Queequeg exist here with different names and are also alien beings.Bradbury outdoes himself by not only distilling the story of Moby-Dick into a hundred-page novella, but by perfectly imitating the pacing, language and feel of Moby-Dick in his story with the characters' thoughts and actions.

Now and Forever is a collection of two incredible stories that serve as a perfect introduction to the greatness of Ray Bradbury, not just one of the greatest science fiction writers of our time, but one of the greatest story tellers.

Originally written on September 8th 2007 ©Alex C. Telander.

For more book reviews and author interviews, go to [...].

this collection is another wonderful addition to his already long oeuvre
NOW AND FOREVER;Somewhere a Band Is Playing & Leviathan '99, by Ray Bradbury (212 pgs., 2007).These are two never before published novellas by the author.Bradbury is now in his 80's & not only is he still writing, but he's producing top-quality work.I admire him & am envious of him at the same time.
This collection of two novellas in another wonderful addition to this already long oeuvre.The first novella, Somewhere a Band Is Playing, is my favorite of the two in this volume.It's not that Leviathan '99 is of a lesser quality of writing & storytelling.It isn't.The latter is a very original retelling of the Moby Dick story, except it takes place in the future, in outer space & the whale is replaced by a gigantic, planet eating comet.We have an obsessed captain of a space ship who has been blinded in a prior encounter with the comet, a first mate who tries to change the captain's obsession, & crewmates loyal to the captain & willing to risk all in the hunt for the comet.Toss in an alien spaceman from a far distant galaxy & some time shifting & you have the story.It's exciting & unique, but I'm less of a science fiction fan than a fan of fantasy & alternative world possibilities.The first novella encompasses more of the latter.
Somewhere, in the middle of nowhere Arizona, is a place called Summertown.The train doesn't even stop there.It simply races through it & if you want to visit the town, you must jump off the train.If you long for an Eden-like utopia, you've stumbled upon the right place.This story takes place in modern times.Apparently, all throughout human history there have been people who outlive the normal span of life by many years.Some people live for 150 or more years.Some are almost immortal.They find this out when they outlive loved ones & even their own children.Eventually, they become loners, moving from place to place, so others won't learn their secret.Not only do they live much longer lives, but, they don't seem to outwardly grow older, once they reach a certain age.By some sort of internal radar these people are able to find each other.Eventually communities are formed, where they can live in peace among their own kind.They also apparently have green thumbs when it comes to vegetation, as they can grow trees, flowers, grasses, & vegetables in the most inhospitable of place, such as the Arizona desert.They build entire towns with false courthouses, town halls, & schools so that the occasional accidental visitor won't stumble upon their secret.There is even a hotel.They are also able to move their entire town from one isolated place to another without leaving a trace of their existence, if & when such a move becomes necessary.How do they get money?They are all writers!Ha, is this a utopian dream for writers, or not!?I loved this story.They use the postal service & live off their royalty checks.They write under various pen names.Into this utopia stumbles a newspaperman, intent on telling the story of this town & perhaps exposing it to the world.Instead, he falls in love with a woman as old as an Egyptian Queen (or is she?) & wants to protect this town from being exposed.He is able to thwart nefarious schemes of a rival newspaperman & brings the town warning of a new interstate highway that is being planned to go right through the town.James Cardiff is the good guy who must decide whether to stay or leave or move with the town, when it moves.I identified with James in this novella.I wished such a place & such a group of people really did exist & I wished that if I dreamt them, they would be true & I could journey to such a place & join the people & live in that type of bliss for all the years that would be granted to me.

Ray Bradbury's Two "New" Exciting Novella
Ray Bradbury has once again created two thought provoking tales, one of a unqiue town in Arizona where no one ages and another set in space chasing an elusive comet.

Ray, always the romantic, involves several themes into "Somewhere A Band is Playing." one of youth seeking love and companionship, yet another being the desire of us all to live forever.

"Leviathan 99," echoing Melville's battle with Moby Dick, has a crew seeking out a rebel comet out to destroy them before they destroy it. All good reading, fast paced and exciting.

"And Death will lie silent forever In June and June and more June."
If there is something you can take away from this book, then let it be that some stories aren't just cranked out of the typewriter, word processor, or whatever method the author uses to put them onto paper.They are often the product of constant revision and framing that takes place over years, or even decades before the author is satisfied with the final draft.Take for example the two novellas featured in Now and Forever: "Somewhere a Band Is Playing" and "Leviathan '99".The genesis for the former came from 1926 Tucson, Arizona.And the latter story's roots came from the days in which radio was the main source of entertainment.

In "Somewhere a Band Is Playing", a reporter named James Cardiff finds himself mysteriously drawn to the unmapped town of Summerton, Arizona.At first, he doesn't completely understand why he is here of all places.But the more he stays, the stranger the truth is and the clearer his understanding becomes.For instance, there are no children in the town.Even more shocking is how in the town's cemetery, the tombstones have the names and dates of birth engraved upon them; but where the date of death should be is blank, unetched stone.

I am reminded of a cross between a much less sinister version of Bradbury's own "Mars is Heaven" and James Hinton's Lost Horizon: A Novel.Cardiff is in many ways like Hugh Conway, particulary how both of them are torn between paradise and the less perfect world that the rest of us live in.Yet Bradbury infuses the story with more than enough originality and flair, so it is its own unique entity.

"Leviathan '99" is a futuristic take on Moby-Dick or, The Whale.Instead of hearing the call to the sea, Ishmael feels the pull of the cosmos.The whaling vessel Pequod becomes the gigantic starship Cetus 7.The titular white whale of Melville's novel is replaced by a comet that may be on a collision course with Earth.And Captain Ahab is now blind, insane, and will stop at nothing in order to conquer the comet that he blames for taking his sight.

This story is what I have always wanted to read from Bradbury - cosmic fiction of novella length.I say cosmic (not science) fiction since his work entails very little actual science utilized by hard SF giants like Clarke, Asimov, or Heinlein.But I still find it tremendously enjoyable nonetheless even with all the technical innaccuracies.Getting back to the subject, he has more short story collections than novels; none of those really leave the Earthly domain.Here he finally has the space to let his imagination run free, especially when it comes to the Captain's dementedly Shakespearean monologues.

Seeing how he is now 88 years old, Bradbury will probably never put out another book that will create a major cultural impact like Fahrenheit 451 or The Martian Chronicles.However, I find Now and Forever to be another worthy addition to his canon, and so will many of his longtime readers.

Enjoyable reading but not vintage Bradbury
This two-novel volume is a quick, light and enjoyable read but doesn't reach the standard of quality one would expect from Bradbury.The first story is rather nebulous and never really grabs you.The second story, a futuristic repackaging of "Moby Dick," is the stronger of the two stories; but even this tale isn't on par with the rest of Bradbury's writings.The characters and plot don't stick with you or have that memorable quality of so many of Bradbury's works.Even the style lacks his usual flair.An enjoyable read for Bradbury fans, but not recommended if you aren't already on the Bradbury bandwagon. ... Read more

Product Description

From the winner of the National Book Foundations' 2000 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters comes a "sweet, funny . . . thought–provoking" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) collection of short stories.

As in his most recent major fiction collections, One More for the Road (1999) and Driving Blind (1997), Ray Bradbury has once again pulled together a stellar group of stories sure to delight readers of all ages. In The Cat's Pyjamas we are treated to a treasure trove of Bradbury gems old and new –– eerie and strange, nostalgic and bittersweet, searching and speculative –– all but two of which have never been published before. The Cat's Pyjamas is a joyous celebration of the lifelong work of a literary legend.

Customer Reviews (13)

Enchanting
This book is a collection of magical stories. Ray Bradbury writes with eloquence, and all his stories touch the heart. His intelligent, welcoming, and transporting style of writing never ceased to amaze me as I slid myself intothe pages of this book day after day. Better than just inducing amusement or entertainment, these stories made me think about my world, my relationships, and myself. This is a wonderful collection of tales that will stand the test of time. It's a tremendous work of contemporary literary art.

Bradbury captures the essence
Ray Bradbury's stories are unique and always wonderful. They always take me back to the world of "Dandelion Wine". As always, the stories have unexpected twists.

My favorite story was "I Get the Blues When It Rains (A Remembrance)".In it he describes one of those special times with family or friends that happen in the course of day to day life that stand out as sparkling memories and can never be recreated.They are a gift when they happen.

"There is one night in everyone's life that has to do with time and memory and song.It has to happen-it must spring up with spontaneity and die away when finished and never happen again quite the same.To try to make it happen only makes it fail.But when it does happen, it is so beautiful you remember it for the rest of your days."

"One night about two months after that special fine evening, gathered at the same house, Elliot came in and passed by the piano and stopped, eyeing it dubiously.
'Play 'I Get the Blues When It Rains','I said.
He played it.
It wasn't the same.The old night was gone forever.Whatever had been in that night was not in this.Same people, same place, same memories, same possible tunes, but...it had been special.Now, wisely, we turned away.Elliot sat down and picked up his manuscriptAfter a long moment of silence, glancing just once at the piano, Elliot cleared his throat and read us the title of his new short story.
I read next.While I was reading, Dolph's wife tiptoed behind us and quietly put the lid down on the piano."

The Master Keeps Chugging Along
Ray Bradbury has been writing short stories for the better part of 60 years.Most of his work is going to last a long long time after his death.Even the material that does not move into the future is still better than 95% of what is now available.The collection proves the rule.

The Cat's Pajamas is a collection of his work for the entirety of his career.It could alsmost be called a greatest hits, except only two stories have been previously published.So this is not his "best" work.The problem with this statement is that there is not a miss among the stories.Everyone is a winner and that is not easy."The House" was written in 1948 is every bit as fresh today as when he wrote it and it holds up against "The Cat's Pajamas" from 2003.

Bradbury is still chasing the metaphor and it is a good thing for us that he still does.He still has the power.One thing that should not be missed is his introduction.Bradbury writes about the death of this wife and the reader finds out that she was hismuse.It is very short and touching at the same time.Highly Recommended.

Introspective look into Ray Bradbury's talent
This is a nifty book, a great sampling of Ray Bradbury that literally spans short stories written from the mid-1940s to the present. While the stories are a little more "lighter" in nature than say some of his other works, they definitely have the same science fiction edge that Bradbury is known for. The stories have a way of making you really think about situations and life, and, as mentioned by one reviewer, seemingly have a "Twilight Zone" feel to them.

A few favorites in the book:

"The Cat's Pajamas": A man and woman, who are both cat lovers, find a small kitten in the middle of a deserted road and both hope to take it home. However, they both make a claim on it, so they have to settle whose it will be.

"All Hail to the Chief": Would you believe it! The senators have gone to an Indian casino and gambled away the entire United States while drinking it up. Just wait and see what happens when the President hears about this one. The President goes to the casino in hopes of figuring out how to get the country back, especially before the story leaks to CNN...

"Sixty-Six" : A man comes across a peculiar series of deaths on the highway while going across Interstate 66. Five people dead, all looking like they have come from the Dust Bowl in the 30s. The narrator tries to solve this mystery, and while driving, comes across a unique and mysterious individual riding a jalopy. Could this man have the answers?

"Sometime Before Dawn" : A mysterious couple comes to stay at a rooming house with a family. The narrator and his family can't understand why they hear the wife cry every night. The husband tries to comfort her. The couple seems to act strangely and say things that are elusive to the narrator. They don't appear to be from here.

This is a great book to check out if you want varied stories from one of the greater minds of science fiction. Although spread out from fifty years plus of writing, many of the stories still have great value today, and Bradbury is able to create unique situations of daily life.

3 1/2 stars

A six-decade tour of Bradbury, sure to please
A collection of mostly unpublished short stories from the genre's master. When he's at his best, Bradbury's genius creates some wonderful gems. "Sixty-Six," a story about time-travelling dust-bowl Okies, is one of the best.In general, many of the later works printed here are as good as his earlier.

Bradbury uses "Chrysalis" and "The Transformation" to deal with issues of race by considering what it's like to be black and want to be white (in the former) and what it's like to be white and forced to be black. Even from the perspective of late 40s America, both seem contrived and bordering on racist. Regardless, the rest of The Cat's Pajamas is a read worthy of any Bradbury fan. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection of interviews captures the imagination of the writer widely regarded as "the granddaddy of science-fiction." However, Ray Bradbury considers Fahrenheit 451 to be his only science-fiction novel and his others, including The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The Illustrated Man, to be more fantasy and horror than science-fiction.

Bradbury, born in 1920, began reading voraciously quite early. He enjoyed the pulp magazine Amazing Stories when it first appeared. He came to maturity just before World War II , when Nazis were firing V-1 and V-2 rockets at Britain, and began writing fiction as the space age was coming to full stride. In addition to having a moon crater named in his honor, he has received the science-fiction's Nebula Grandmaster Award for his lifetime achievements and in 2000 the National Book Foundation's medal for distinguished contribution to American letters.

"The writer's vocabulary need not be extensive," Bradbury says. "He shouldn't throw unusual words at the reader, but I do believe in using the right word. The reader should be given something more than the basic meaning by the use of words that are dynamic and colorful, that provide pictures for the reader."

Since 1941, whenSuper Science Stories bought his first story, Bradbury wrote and published hundreds of short stories, as well asnovels, essays, dramas, operas, teleplays, poems, and screenplays. His film work in Ireland crafting the screenplay for John Huston's Moby-Dick in 1954 established Bradbury as a fixture in Hollywood. Versions of his works have been shown on all the major networks, and USA network produced sixty-five of his teleplays for The Ray Bradbury Theater.

During his career Bradbury has given more than 300 interviews. The selection included in this volume begins in 1948, spans five decades, and charts Bradbury's long creative life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Thoughts On the Past & Present.
the writer draws onBradbury's personal life experience, ideas and the world around him.The one he wrote in 2004, "Remembrance of Books Past," is especially interesting. It's about a fan letter from the great French Renaissance art historian, B. Berenson, and his novel FAHRENHEIT 451, which connected them fifty years ago into a remarkable friendship.

He wrote THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES in 1944 as a collection of stories. He became interested in the Red Planet as a ten-year-old in Waukegan, Illinois, out looking at the night stars and that special 'red fire' burning in the dark sky. He collected Buck Rogers comics, and his favorite was "Buck & Wilma on the Red Planet."He read Edgar Rice Burrough's THE GODS OF MARS.

After finishing school, he got a job working on an astronomical program for the Smithsonian Planetarium. He studied some photos of the mysterious universe taken by Lowell Observatory. The started pondering on the 'Big Bang' Theory and the impossibility of so simple (and complex) a creation for our world.At the age of eighty, he remembers how all this early sky watching and deep thinking had evolved into his science fiction writing.

When he was twelve, he became fascinated with the pterodactyl and Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur ride at the Chicago Century of Progress Fair. The 'Sinclair Oil's frozen-in-place paper-mache prehistoric monsters were on the world's first animatronic display. The moving platform provided a four-minute jaunt back to the Past.First, he's soared into the future in his imagination toward the cosmos. Using the Grand Canyon as foundation for Space Station #1: Earth, his 'Chronicles' took him first to Space Station #1: the Moon. On to #3, Mars; then take off for the whole Universe. Our Space program since the 1960s has taken us there and back, now we're on a mission to Pluto, the last unexplored planet in the solar system.

When he fell "backward to the future," the dinosaurs "delivered me to tomorrow in ways I could not imagine." The memory of walking backward through Chicago's multimillion-year remembrance enabled him to write the screenplay for 'Moby Dick." From there, he was commissioned to develop a building at the New York World's Fair in 1964, with a ride through America's history. He was asked, "Can you create a four-hundred-year history of America in seventeen minutes flat, with a full symphony orchestra?" He was delivered "to the topmost interior of the United States Pavilion, where, gliding on a circular track as big as a football field, he wept in disbelief that by long ago stepping in reverse, he had fallen into Now."

That led into the grand Disney offer to develop the Epcot Center. Walt's Imagineers had a 50 million-dollar building to transform into the world of tomorrow. "Can you write a two-thousand-year communication history in twelve minutes flat with a full symphony orchestra?" He'd made a journey from cave to Ben Franklin's lightning shocks, to Apollo's Moon and beyond.

A fascinating and informative collection of conversations
Biography blends with literary criticism in this inherently fascinating and informative collection of conversations with noted science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, revolving around everything from how science fiction is changing our world to social issues such as the role of education and transportation in society. Add some critical articles and commentary on Bradbury's works and perspective and you have a true winner.

... Read more

Product Description
The advanced technology of a house first pleases then increasingly terrifies its occupants. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Kids just want to have fun
What would the collection be without, "The Veldt"; the first separate publication of this story which was collected earlier in "THE ILLUSTRATED MAN." Please do not read this story out loud if there your cats are present.

Now that virtual reality is perfected Parents can have the room be the nanny. The kids have many environments to choose from; their favorite seems to be the veldt where the virtual lions seem to be munching on something DEAD. Unfortunately there may be an unhealthy side effect. The parents check out the room while the kids are away and see the lions and hear SCREAMS and munching; they decide the kids need to lay off the room for a while. The Kids act strange when deprived of the room and the unhealthy side effect may affect the parents.

Great Storytelling and vivid imagery
I read this story as a young adult (in 6th grade) and I am now in my 30's and the impact and storyline has never left me.The Veldt combines sci-fi with the imagination and fleeting, yet intense, emotional responses of children.Ray delves into a child's mind and shows how aware children really are, and why they should be given more credit by adults.While the story can be considered a smidge disturbing a times, it's inherant brillance and poetic timing has made it a story to pass on to all generations.As with all Ray Bradbury material, this one is a must read, must keep, must share!
-Jaime

Dandalion Wine
I loved this wonderfulbook by thee Ray BradBurry Science Fiction Master. It was a delightful novel and so interstring. I really want to read more of BradBury's works. He really is a Sci-Fi master of books. BradBury is my favorite author of all time!!!!!!!! He might be yours to if you give him a chance. Don't just read Dandalion Whine read all of his books to get enlightened.

the veldt
when i read this story i thought it was amazing how much ray brdabury could think of that are around today. tjis bookleaves you filled with some many questions that the is no one right answer and that is what make this an extrodanary story

exciting thrilling exhilarating
The book was very good it was not a book that you had to think about. I liked it a lot. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another Classic
Great fiction, and gives you an incite to the thinking of socialists of the day.
Lets hope it stays fiction.

Fahrenheit 451
A novel that was hard to believe was written in 1950 due to the marvelous inventions and concepts used to tell the story. ... Read more

Product Description

Illustrated classics for adults! Here, Collins Design's WISP series pairs two legendary creators–writer Ray Bradbury and artist Dave McKean–to create an irresistible package perfect for Halloween and all year 'round.

The WISP series (Wonderfully Illustrated Short Pieces) represents an ingenious marriage of two creative forces: the artistry of today's foremost illustrators and the literary legacy of beloved authors of popular short works for adults. The resulting offspring of this union are captivating, full–color illustrated editions of timeless classics that readers will want to savor and collect.

For the first time ever, the series makes selected popular short works previously offered only in collections available in a unique, stand–alone format. Also for the first time, WISPs harness the talents of top illustrators for the benefit and delight of a new, older audience.

This WISP presents Ray Bradbury's The Homecoming, a little boy's tale of his family reunion of vampires. This story was initially published in 1946 and later refashioned into further stories. Bringing this story to life are the wondrous illustrations of Dave McKean, whose delightful artwork perfectly matches the tale.

These one–of–a–kind, attractively priced and invitingly formatted illustrated editions will make a great impulse buy and appeal to a broad audience.

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent Book!
Images are wonderful in this book. Def. one of my favorites in my Bradbury collection.

Review of McKean's Homecoming
This is a great adaption by David McKean. His illustrations carefully capture the eerily joyful mood of Bradbury's story. As far as I can tell, the original writing is unaltered. This is merely a great artist placing a great story into a new dimension. The story is short and thoughtful; it would work well as a halloween story for children.

The Perfect Merger of Visual Art and Literary Art
Ray Bradbury is a bona fide American treasure, a master of story, a virtuoso with words. In more than 500 short stories and tales Bradbury has shown his genius time and time again, proving it over and over again, especially in pieces like this one.

The story concerns a little boy in a family of vampires, the model for the Addams family, who is not a vampire, who is normal. And it concerns The Homecoming, a gathering of a family otherwise spread far and wide across the globe. The writing here is Bradbury at his best, enchanting, entertaining, humoring, revealing. There are moments of horror here, moments of laughter (particularly when the vampires all play Coffins, which is like musical chairs), moments of poignancy, and moments of sadness. It could be said, truthfully, I think, that true art and true literature display human emotion, and capture us so that our own emotions are tied to the story. Here Bradbury proves that his work is true art, true literature. It proves that he is a genius, not that proof is really needed (just read The Martian Chronicles, Fahrenheit 451, or Something Wicked This Way Comes and you'll see what I mean).

And I have not yet touched on the illustrations.

Dave McKean, as anyone who has read The Sandman and looked at his gorgeous covers, is as much a genius as Bradbury, just in a completely different medium. His paintings, in this case, are brilliant, taking us through the story and engaging us the whole way. They are humorous when the story is humorous, cute when the story is cute, scary when the story is scary. They are the perfect accompaniment to the tale. And they are always beautiful to look at. And worth mentioning is McKean's wonderful use of the text, transforming this into so much more than an illustrated book, turning this into a piece of art in its own right. The text is frenzied when the story is frenzied, big when the words are shouted, small when words are whispered and, in one instance, the text and the art are intertwined (literally) when a child's question is answered by a word spelled in a spider's web.

This book is a wonder and a delight. If you are a fan of Bradbury or if you have never read a single word he's written, if you are familiar with McKean or simply enticed by this book's wonderful cover I urge you, reader, to partake and to purchase, and to enjoy. ... Read more

Product Description

America has no finer teller of tales than Ray Bradbury. Now the master treats us to another round -- eighteen brand-new stories and seven previously published but never before collected -- a rich elixir distilled from the pungent fruit of experience and imagination, expertly prepared by a superior mixologist.This glass overflows with a heady brew: a house where time has no boundaries; the comforts of arguments eternal; the ghosts of dear friends, errant sons and lost fathers; the addictive terror of a pre-dawn phone call. It is a superb refreshment served with wit, heart, and flair by the incomparable Bradbury. And every satisfying swallow brings new surprises and revelations.

Customer Reviews (22)

Not What I Was Expecting
I very much enjoyed Bradbury's Somthing Wicked This Way Comes and The October Country and, even if it was a bit slow moving, From the Dust Returned.I thought One More for the Road would be in the same vein:thought provoking, a little twisted, a little chilling.

This book does provoke some thought, mostly on the ends of lives and loves, but it is almost totally devoid of "chilling" and "creepy."My reaction to most of these stories was, "Yeah, okay, and . . .???"

The cover with its skeleton hitchhiker is totally misleading.

I think I'll look for some older, more fun Bradbury.

All of the other reviewers have missed the message
The fact is that unless you are under 50 years old, you may not be able to appreciate this collection.It was his first work in a decade and probably will be his last.Reader, beware-Bradbury will rip your heart out.

Bradbury wrote this volume while in his eighties.In this collection, which is realism-not science fiction, he told the truth ruthlessly, not how it is supposed to be, or how we tell ourselves it is.He's facing death and has no time for fairy tales.He's sifting through his life's lessons and presenting us with the outcome.Appreciate it for what it is and try to learn from it.

"Heart Transplant" portrays a man and a woman who are having an affair.While they are lying in bed, the woman decides that it's all wrong and that she'd like to fall back in love with her husband.She tells the man how she feels and asks wouldn't it be wonderful to fall back in love with their spouses.She asks him, as a favor to her, to try and fall in love with his wife again.He says-sure, knowing that he never will. Determined to do the right thing, which he knows is better for her, she gets out of bed and gives him a kiss goodbye.As the door closes, he cries knowing the love of his life walked out the door and won't return.He lied to her so that she would be happy and in a better situation (morally).

In "In Memoriam", a husband and wife are moving from their family home since it's time for them to move to a retirement community.The wife urges her husband to take down the nasty, rusted basketball hoop attached to the garage framing.It's a task he's been putting off for thirty years, ever since their son was killed in Vietnam.He knows he has to do it, but there's something he has to do first.That night, he goes out by the light of the moon and plays a final game with his son.In playing that final game, he must finally acknowledge his son's death.Up to then, he was OK, his son was just gone, but even though thirty years passed by, having the hoop in place was a symbol of his son's life.He takes it down as his wife asked, but it nearly kills him.

Love never dies, wonderful, but also horrifying since time and circumstance change nothing.Survivors don't heal, but endure, which takes a courage only the old know.

My mother told me before she died that old age wasn't for sissies.Bradbury strikes that message home.

Not his best stuff
One More for the Road is a short story collection by Ray Bradbury. It consists of 24 unrelated stories, 17 of which had never been published before. Bradbury is a master of the genre, and this book contains some really nice stories. It also contained some that fell very flat. A few of the stories grabbed my, and several others were very interesting in concept, but just weren't my style. Unfortunately a lot of the stories didn't meet either of those criteria for me.

The Nineteenth was my favorite. It was a moving story of a man mysteriously encountering he deceased father on a golf course looking for lost balls.

The Dragon Danced at Midnight was a furiously paced story of the rise of a filmmaker via the lucky accident of a drunken projectionist showing the reels of his film out of order.

Autumn Afternoon was a sad tale, of an old woman and her young niece. The niece saves calendar pages as remembrances. When cleaning out her attic the lady finds a stack of her own calendar pages from her youth, but she can't recall why she saved them.

For the rest the tales were mostly forgettable. Not bad really, just not remarkable. If you are a fan of Bradbury, feel free to give this a shot. You may like it more than I did. If you are new to the man, I'd stick with Fahrenheit 451 or the Martian Chronicles.

5 out of 10

A literary gem, though not my personal favorite
I am a fan (and writer) of the short story form, enjoy literary language, and greatly admire and identify with Mr. Bradbury's masteful ability as an old fashioned storyteller. Although this collection clearly accomplishes all of those things, it is not my most favorite of his huge body of work.

Many of the stories here are more like vignettes, also a form that I have written in at times, but give the impressions of fond memories being recalled, or merely written as excercises in the literary form. I felt unsatisfied by many of them for these reasons, despite my continued appreciation for his ability to turn a beautiful phrase. The book seems to get more interesting toward the latter half of the book.

One of the standout tales in "One More for the Road" was "The Enemy in the Wheat," a humorous tale of a man who, upon believing that a bomb from the war has landed unexploded in his wheat field, milks the potential danger for all it's worth in order to rise above his own mundane and unremarkable life. In another tale, entitled, "Fore!" A son has a fateful reunion with his father by the side of a road. Finally, "The Cricket in the Hearth" takes an ironic and funny look at how a marriage can fall into an almost ritualistic routine over time, and the unusual event that puts spice back into the couple's lives.

For me, Bradbury is at his best when his tales take place on the backdrop of the fantastical, where he shows us that no matter where in place and time we go, life and it's many wondrous aspects will always remain. Ray Bradbury is a literary scholar when it comes to exploring the human condition, and the compassion he has for his fellow man is clearly on display on each and every story he writes.

Again, I found much of the work here lacking the depth of story I'm accustomed to from Bradbury, but if you are a fan of Bradbury's overall writing style, which clearly has diminished little over the years, then this is a must-read collection.

- Gregory Bernard Banks, author of "Phoenix Tales: Stories of Death & Life"

Uneven and pathetic
We all know Ray Bradbury. We all know he has written some of the best and most disquieting stories in the world, after WW2. But this volume of short stories is very uneven, at least. Some stories are quite interesting, but some other are the pathetic love letters of an old man, a very old man, to life, even and especially when he speaks of death. The point is that there is absolutely no commitment to any human values like freedom, happiness, creativity, except in one way, what he calls himself a very « selfish » way : his freedom soon to be questioned by death, his happiness that has to be satisfied by the world and other people, even dead writers, his creativity that he sums up to drowning in metaphors. But all that is vain and of no value for the reader. What proof does he have that the very young and talented author he met once would have been anything else but a derelict forty years later. And anyway why did he turned up a derelict forty years later ? Where is the cause, where is the explanation ? Nowhere in the story where Ray Bradbury just uses a time-machine to confront the derelict with what he was forty years before, as if the key to the future was in the hands of this young man, as if the only one responsible for his dereliction forty years later were him and him only. There is no compassion for anyone in this book. And the love scene between the two old people in one of the story is absurd, even if he may tell us it is his own experience. It is absurd because it is vain : at seventy one will never be seventeen again, not even in one's head, mind or soul. This is a caricature. These stories are maybe good for some men's magazine but I understand why they were sold for nearly nothing in London in october 2004. The English at least seem to know what is pathetic or even vain and absurd.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
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Product Description
An anthology of science fiction short stories by some of today's top authors to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the science fiction film classic Forbidden Planet. Filled to the brim with provocative tales of worlds where humans were never meant to go. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

christmas present
This was from my husband's wish list. He could not find this book in any of the local stores. He was very pleased to get it for christmas.

excellenthomage to the landmark science fiction movie Forbidden Planet
Paying homage to the landmark science fiction movie Forbidden Planet on the fiftieth anniversary of its release, these twelve tales focus on humans visiting other worlds or dimensions where they are unwelcome and unwanted.Each tales is fun to follow as humans bravely go where they should not.The original movie is loosely based on Shakespeare's The Tempest so the twist of using King Lear (Jay Lake's "Lehr, Rex") is a fascinating spin; others are just as good as mechanical sidekicks like Robert the Robot (see "Forebearing Planet" by Michael Moorcock) and "The Singularity Needs Women" by Paul Di Filippo are fun twists from the film.The remaining tales, all new, are quality contributions that make for a fine collection.In addition to a dozen terrific entries, Ray Bradbury in the Introduction provides two shockers about the movie and Stephen Baxter in the Afterward analyzes the impact on his work.This is an excellent short story collection that reverently salutes a movie that many Trekkies know that Kirk and company should journey where no one did before except Forbidden Planet.

Harriet Klausner
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Product Description

Halloween Night, 1954.  A young, film-obsessed scriptwriter has just been hired at one of the great studios.  An anonymous investigation leads from the giant Maximus Films backlot to an eerie graveyard separated from the studio by a single wall.  There he makes a terrifying discovery that thrusts him into a maelstrom of intrigue and mystery -- and into the dizzy exhilaration of the movie industry at the height of its glittering power.

Customer Reviews (10)

A graveyard for corpses and one for lunatics
"A Graveyard for Lunatics" (1990) is a mystery that hovers at fantasy's door without ever quite falling over the threshold.It is also a thinly disguised autobiography of Bradbury himself as a naïve young scriptwriter for `Maximus Pictures' in 1950s Hollywood.

The unnamed narrator (Bradbury) and his best friend, Roy Holdstrom (Ray Harryhausen, the great stop-motion model animator) are searching for the perfect Beast for their new special-effects monster movie.The Bradbury-character is lured to the graveyard next to the studio on Halloween night, where he sees a man who has been dead for twenty years: the former chief of Maximus Films.The corpse is climbing a ladder up the wall between the graveyard and the studio.

"Can't be!Impossible, I almost yelled.You're here tonight up on the wall?Who put you there?You can't be killed all over again, can you?"

In this stand-alone sequel to Death Is a Lonely Business, Bradbury chews up words and spits them out like Jack Nicholson on speed.His characters are either shouting or weeping, raving, gasping, or screaming:

"I talked fast.I raved, maundered, and described all of 1934 and 1935 and me rambling on my roller skates, pursued by a maniac cane-wielding W. C. Fields and kissed on the cheek by Jean Harlow in front of the Vendome restaurant.With the kiss, the ball bearings popped from my skates."

If you are not used to Bradbury at his best in fantasies like The October Country or Something Wicked This Way Comes, this mystery might just pop the ball bearings off of your skates. This is Hollywood as seen through the spinning kaleidoscope of a brilliant writer, complete with barely disguised real-life directors, studio moguls, movie sets, actors, film editors, Roman legions, and dinosaurs.Glimpses of the films that Bradbury actually worked on such as King of Kings and It Came From Beneath the Sea (Color Special Edition)are also crammed into this book, along with a plot that includes the Last Supper and the Next-to-the-Last Supper, the make-up artist who prepared Lenin for his funeral, a monocled director who fled from Nazi Germany, an actress who swims with dolphins, and of course two graveyards: one for corpses; and one for lunatics.

I am definitely going to read the prequel, "Death is a Lonely Business" (1985) and the sequel, Let's All Kill Constance (2004).Bradbury-over-the-top is a better guide to Hollywood history than 99% of the shamelessly pandering star biographies ever written.

Bradbury & Hollywood: a perfect coupling?
Bradbury, no stranger to the land of the fantastic, takes us to the bizarre world of Hollywood and its myriad movie sets in A Graveyard for Lunatics. Bradbury writing about the fantasy world of Hollywood is a very natural coupling, and gives Bradbury an amazing canvas unto which he can paint his complex, interesting characters. There is a constant battle for attention between the place and the characters, a tension that helps rather than hinders the story.

The plotting is not Bradbury's best. The central mystery of the novel is rather translucent. However this is more than made up for by Bradbury's lyrical writing, his characterization, and the magic that runs like an electrical pulse through the novel. If this is your first foray into Bradbury's work, I would recommend you read The Martian Chronicles or Farenheit 451 or The Illustrated Man instead. If you know and love Bradbury, dive right in.

Pure Whimsy
Bradbury can be whimsical -- and even silly -- at times.He has a bent for humor, and it is apparent in this book.Undoubtedly it is based on his movie script-writing experiences and his work with his friend, Ray Harryhausen.Yet, overall, it failed to absorb my attention as much as his other, more sinister (noir) works.It's a nice addition to your library if you are a dyed-in-the-wool Bradbury fan.I passed my copy along to someone after reding it, as I also did with "Let's All Kill Constance," a title related to this one.

Charmed, I'm Sure
It's a sweet and simple fact of life: some people will like it, and some people will not. However, many pros and cons of this mystery novel are defiant and absolute. This novel contains well developed, attractive characters complete with their own pet peeves and since of humor. Also, there are remarkable philosophical questions with ample room for discussion and debate such as the "going home again" theme and the symbolism of the "another tale of two cities" within one city. However, some unappealing aspects of this novel included the fact it wasn't that much of a mystery. The clues, hints, and evidence given by Bradbury were obvious gestures to the truth and conclusion of the story. Other minor negative details such as one or two lacking characters and poor transitions withheld two stars from this mystery book. Otherwise, many compliments and much respect to Ray Bradbury. Charmed, I'm sure.

Very enjoyable
I remember an old tag line for a copy of The Martian Chronicles I had indicating that there was no writer quite like Ray Bradbury and that still holds true today.While certainly not in the upper echelon of his past classics, A Graveyard for Lunatics is certainly a page turner that keeps hold of your interest from start to finish.Bradbury uses Hollywood as a vessel for the much larger themes of death, fame, and religion and wraps it in a murder mystery.Unfortunately, and the reason I withhold a star, is that it becomes a little too easy to figure out a huge piece of the puzzle and knowing or assuming that as you read takes something away from the suspense.That being said, the plot is still very tightly constructed and the characters are, for the most part, very well drawn.A nice piece of work from the master. ... Read more

Product Description
Gauntlet Press is thrilled to announce our upcoming publication of Ray Bradbury's four screen treatments for IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE.

Released in 1953, It Came From Outer Space was one of the first 3-D films made. Rumors about Bradbury's participation with the film have run rampant for years. Bradbury did not write the final screenplay -- good news, actually, as Bradbury retained their rights -- but he wrote four treatments and gets story credit. These screen treatments have NEVER been published before.

We are also pleased to announce that Donn Albright, who edited our edition of DARK CARNIVAL in 2001, is now editing IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE.He has done a FANTASTIC job in pulling together the original Bradbury typed pages of the outlines and treatments, gathering more bonus material than we could have ever imagined possible, and convincing Bradbury to allow us to use never before published short stories in this book.

The Gauntlet edition of IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE is more than just a printing of the outlines and treatments which Bradbury wrote for the film.It is an in-depth study of the evolution of the film.The book is filled with:

Photos
Original ads
Marketing posters
Reviews
Letters
Never before published Bradbury short stories
Insightful essays and introductions from Bradbury Scholars Jon Eller and Bill Touponce

The book is an oversized book, 8 1/2" x 11", so as to keep intact the size of the script pages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The story of a 1950s classic
Released in 1953, It Came From Outer Space is notable for being one of the first 3-D movies ever made.Shot from a Harry Essex screenplay based on a story by Ray Bradbury, the movie was a classic of Cold war paranoia and anxiety.Although thought of fondly by movie buffs (Steven Spielberg is a great fan), the film has been the subject of much controversy over the years, specifically over the extent of Bradbury's contributions to the finished product.

Although Bradbury did not write the final screenplay, he did write four treatments, to which he retained the rights.These four previously unpublished treatments have now been gathered together by Donn Albright (editor of the 2001 Gauntlet edition of Bradbury's DARK CARNIVAL) in IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, an interesting, beautifully packaged study of the evolution and development of the classic film.

Containing the original Bradbury typed pages of outlines and treatments which the author wrote for the film, the book also includes a wealth of bonus material, such as informative essays and introductions from Bradbury scholars Jon Eller and Bill Touponce, reviews, letters, photos, promotional material, and reviews.Of special note to Bradbury mavens is the inclusion of the never before seen short stories "A Matter of Taste," the short story that contains the seeds of the plot of the movie, and "Troll Charge," a collaboration between Bradbury and screenwriter Harry Essex.

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE is truly a wonderful book, a perfect present for you or the Bradbury aficionado in your life.Obviously a labor of love for editor Albright and publisher Barry Hoffman, it's an impressive artifact, a book anyone would be proud to own.Unfortunately, beauty is costly; as this oversized tome will set you back $125.Hopefully, a less expensive trade edition is planned for those who can't shell out that kind of dinero.

Where's the beef?
IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE fans get a very short interview with Ray Bradbury, Bradbury's script and nothing else of interest.The rest is filler.Apparently NOT wanting to share the proceeds with Universal, there are only a few photos, horribly reproduced.For $125??!Bah.

The quintessential piece for any Sci-Fi/Bradbury fan.
It never ceases to amaze me how much effort Gauntlet Press places in the
creation of their publications. Last week I received Ray Bradbury's "It came
From Outer Space".Honestly, I'm speechless. I know, I generally always
give books a good rating BUT - frankly, this book is breathtaking. This is a
necessary include for any Sci-Fi or Bradbury collection. WOW!

Lets start from the top shall we?First, the cover is simply stunning.
While I wish the back of the cover were really the front of the cover, I
believe that the way the cover is done it
gives the book an edge. Bradbury does the front artwork, and the back has a
poster picture, which gives the title of the book. Never the less the cover
alone is incredible and made me drool.

What is in this book, you ask? Quite literally everything you ever wanted to
know about "It Came From Outer Space".A book of this style has never
before been published. Within this tome you will find exclusive material
such as the controversy behind "It Came From Outer Space", Correspondences
both to and from Ray Bradbury, Screen treatments, never
before published short stories, original ads and more. The lettered edition
of this book includes an additional section, which includes and introduction
by Jonathan Eller, a letter from Mathilde Moser to Ray Bradbury and, the
unfinished screenplay entitled "Face of the Deep".
One of the things about this book that really just touched me was when
Bradbury discusses how he met up with Spielberg after watching "Close
Encounters of the Third Kind" and found out that "It Came From Outer Space"
was the inspiration behind the Spielberg hit. Simply beautiful!

In my opinion, this book is a powerful and personal journey through the
highlights of Bradbury. You can feel the emotions that Bradbury must have
experienced in his emergent period, and it just empowers your soul. This
book shows you a boy with a love for a genre and the fortitude to embark
upon his dream, making it his life.

I strongly urge you purchase this book if you have any ounce of sense in
you. This is most definitely the quintessential piece for any Sci-Fi/Bradbury fan.
5 Stars without a doubt! ... Read more

Product Description
In Marionettes, Inc., Ray Bradbury offers his devoted readers something both special and unexpected: a unified view of one small corner of a varied fictional universe. In five stories (one of them original to this collection, plus a rare, previously unpublished screen treatment), Bradbury explores the concept of Robotics and examines its impact on the day-to-day lives of ordinary people.

Several of these tales, including Changeling and Punishment Without Crime, are set in a world in which the eponymous company, Marionettes, Inc., has successfully created incredibly detailed replicas of existing men and women. When these surrogate people take their place in the real, often messy realm of human relationships, the results are sometimes tragic, sometimes ironic, and always surprising.

But the true heart of this resonant collection is the classic novella, I Sing the Body Electric. In this quintessential Bradbury story, an electric Grandma enters the lives of a grieving, newly motherless family, and slowly restores their capacity for wonder and joy. Like the very best of Bradbury s fiction, it is a magical, deeply felt account of hope, growth, survival, and change, and a moving meditation on what it really means to be human. ... Read more